Blogs

The countdown to the grand opening of The Shops at the Bravern is now measured in weeks, instead of months and previews of luxury fashion have begun. Looks from Tory Burch were spotted on roving models all over the city (I spotted a fabulously-clad group at the Fremont Troll on Sunday), with more “mobile” fashion shows to come in the next couple of weeks.

Their name: "Horseshoe.” Their claim: to be a little bit country, a little bit rock ’n’ roll. Find out for yourself at the chic Ballard boutique’s annual garage sale on Sunday, August 23 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Check out their flyer for more details.

If you’ve ever looked with longing at the contents of your hotel mini-bar, Hotel Max’s new “Raid the Honor Bar” package gives you a chance to give into temptation without feeling guilty. Book now through the end of the year and get 50 percent off mini-bar items—and we’re not just talking cashews and almonds. The promotion includes toiletry kits, a Hotel Max Robe and T-shirt, an “intimacy kit” and more. In addition to this quirky perk, the package comes with an in-room movie, free wi-fi and unlimited in-and-out valet parking.

Want to get a head start on shopping for those fall essentials? Look no further than the Boutique Culture Warehouse Sale, held at Fremont Studios. Taking place Saturday, August 29 (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.) and Sunday, August 30 (11 a.m. - 4 p.m.), this sale boasts 40-80 percent off retail prices for spring and summer collections as well as 10-20 percent off new fall lines from local boutiques and designers.

The Los Angeles Times reports that JetBlue is offering a pretty amazing flight deal: a $599 pass that allows unlimited travel to any of the carrier's 56 national and international locations from Sept. 8 through Oct. 8. Of course, an offer this good has to have a few caveats and accordingly, the newspaper reports there are plenty. For example:

I reported last week that Sub Pop Records donated $10,000 to the Northwest Film Forum to help pull the independent film-making hub from financial disarray. Well, it turns out Sub Pop has actually pledged to donate up to $10,000 in matching gifts. That means your $10 donation is now worth $20.

I have seen my share of Broadway shows and I’ve seen all of The 5th Avenue Theatre’s Broadway-bound, made-from-a-movie incubator musicals, some fantastic (Hairspray!) and some not so much (The Wedding Singer).
Last night I saw Catch Me if you Can, the 5th Ave’s latest such show about the true-life young con artist Frank Abagnale

Nestled right next door to Anchovies and Olives, and just a stone’s throw from Healeo, we've received word that gardening specialty store, Envy, has moved to a new eye-catching Capitol Hill location. Twice the size of its old Union street location, they are now carrying a wider inventory of plants and pots, and some new accessories including outdoor lawn games, specialty gardening tools, and environmentally-friendly patio furniture.
1546 15th Ave.; 206.588.2498; www.envygrows.com
- Posted by Jacquie Perez

It’s time to play the music,It’s time to light the lights,It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight!
When I was a kid, The Muppet Show aired at 7 p.m. Legend has it that when I heard the opening music, I would start running around the house cheering and flailing my arms in excitement. Okay, I’ll confess, not much has changed. I did the same thing last year when A Muppets Christmas aired on T.V. What can I say? The Muppets make me very, very happy.

Sub Pop has pledged to donate $10,000 to the financially struggling independent film hub, Northwest Film Forum. The donation is a coup for NWFF which reported last month that it must raise $75,000 by Aug. 1 to help off set a 30 percent funding gap.
From the Aug. 5 NWFF blog post by Susie:

In the chart on page 96 of the August issue of Seattle magazine, Seattle neighborhoods and the surrounding suburbs are ranked separately. However, if we rank all 110 neighborhoods together using this year's criteria--affordability, return on investment, good schools, parks, crime rates and commute--what happens? Turns out, the 'burbs come out on top. In fact, Queen Anne, the top Seattle neighborhood, doesn't even make the combined Top 10--it places 35th, pulled down primarily by affordability and park acreage.

While other arts groups—ACT, Intiman Theatre, Seattle rep to name a few—are busy exercising their creative muscles to help stay afloat (read more about creative cost-saving measures by local arts groups in our Fall Arts preview out in September), one group, Northwest Film Forum recently made a much more candid request for donations.

"In their modest one-bedroom New York apartment, unassuming couple Herb and Dorothy Vogel quietly amassed one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of minimalist and conceptual art." So begins the PR for Herb & Dorothy, a documentary playing at the Northwest Film Forum through Sunday. The film has received wildly positive reviews, in large part because this normal, not wealthy couple exemplifies the much-ballyhooed (but rarely put into practice) idea that art is for everyone—not just rich people and scholars.